CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, JAN MAYEN & SVALBARD

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13 DAYS

This expedition-style cruise from Edinburgh to Longyearbyen is your chance to discover some historically significant and wildlife-rich destinations of Scotland and the Arctic. Cruising aboard the small, luxury expedition ship, the Sea Spirit is the perfect way to visit difficult-to-access locations where tourist value far exceeds tourist numbers. Begin in the historic Orkney Islands archipelago, then head to the Fair Isles, a birdwatchers paradise where over 345 species have been recorded to inhabit before crossing the Arctic circle and exploring the unforgettable landscapes of Spitsbergen.

ITINERARY SUMMARY
DayPlaceHighlights
Day 1Edinburgh, ScotlandOvernight in hotel
Day 2Port of Leith, ScotlandEnjoy Edinburgh's old street and vistas of green hills and embark your ship this afternoon
Day 3Kirkwall, OrkneysVisit the Westfjords area and Grimsey Island
Day 4Fair Isle, Shetland IslandsLush grasslands and spectacular cliffs watch out for northern fulmars, kittiwakes, northern gannets, puffins, and great and arctic skuas
Day 5Torshavn, Faroe IslandsSpectacular cliffs, steep mountains, deep fjords
Day 6At SeaCrossing to Jan Mayen
Day 7Jan MayenBeerenberg Volcano, whales, dolphins
Day 8At SeaSea Crossing to Svalbard
Days 9 -12SvalbardExplore the Svalbard Archipelago
Day 13LongyearbyenDisembark and farewell your fellow travellers

SHIP OFFERING THIS ITINERARY

SEA SPIRIT
Sea Spirit next to Iceberg- Fiona

The Sea Spirit was built in Italy in 1991. She’s a very comfortable ice-strengthened, small (114 guests), all-suite expedition ship. The vessel was updated in late 2010 and had additional refurbishment in April 2017. All suites have private facilities and exterior views. Some of the suites feature private balconies for enjoying fantastic landscapes of Antarctica.

She has a fleet of ten rubber inflatable zodiac boats for landings, an experienced crew, and a set of retractable fin stabilizers for smooth sailing. This ship features an open bridge, 2 rear outdoor viewing areas, an outdoor viewing area at the front of the vessel, a bar, lounge, presentation room and dining area all lined with windows. There is also a gym on-board as well as a library and media centre.

Day 1 Embarkation Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh

Welcome to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland and starting point of our expedition. The famous Castle rising above the city gives immediate evidence of Edinburgh’s rich history. While the Town area boasts medieval architecture, the New Town accommodates newer 18th century buildings. Each corner of Edinburgh’s old streets opens beautiful unexpected vistas of green hills or a blue flash of distant sea. In the afternoon, you will be welcomed aboard the luxury expedition ship M/V Sea Spirit. Explore the ship and get settled in your comfortable and spacious suite.

Day 2 Port of Leith, Scotland

Kirkwall

Enjoy the morning and early afternoon at leisure. Each corner of Edinburgh’s old streets opens beautiful unexpected vistas of green hills or a blue flash of the distant sea. In the afternoon, you will be transferred from the hotel to the ship in the nearby Port of Leith. Before dinner, there’s time to explore the Sea Spirit, your home-away-from home for the next days.

Day 3 Kirkwall, Orkneys

Northern Fulmar, Arctic

This quiet town is the capital of the remote and amazing Orkney archipelago. First mentioned in Orkneyinga saga in 1046. Such a long history has left a rich heritage that we explore today. The most famous are the sandstone St Magnus Cathedral, considered the finest medieval building in the north of Scotland, the Bishop’s Palace and the Earl’s Palace.

Included tour “Ancient treasures of Orkney with St Magnus Cathedral.” Depart Kirkwall and head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island. Pass through rolling landscape of Orkney and into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney; designated as a World Heritage Site.  Passing the Standing Stones of Stenness, we will stop at the Ring of Brodgar; a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5000 years. See the 5000-year-old village of Skara Brae, beautifully interpreted in the visitor centre and the remarkable dwellings revealed from beneath the sand dunes by storms only 150 years ago.

Once back in the island capital we take a tour of St Magnus Cathedral, built by the Vikings during their 500 year reign over the islands.

Day 4 Fair Isle, Shetland Islands

Puffin Arctic Wildlife

Fair Isle is a real paradise for birdwatchers. Huge numbers of birds inhabits the lush grasslands and spectacular cliffs. Over 345 species have been recorded here – more than anywhere else in Britain. During your walk across the island, you can hope to see northern fulmars, kittiwakes, northern gannets, puffins, and great and arctic skuas.

Day 5 Torshavn, Faroe Islands

Arctic Tern Arctic Wildlife

National Geographic Traveler had designated Faroe Islands as “authentic, unspoiled and likely to remain so”. It seems that the Nature spares no colours in “painting” the islands. Deep-green hills, bright blue sea, colourful houses and boats, orange-red puffins’ beaks make the sceneries unforgettable, meanwhile traditional wooden dwellings with turf roofs look like they belong in a fairy tale.

The rugged Faroese are proud of their Viking heritage and their love of the sea. Today we will explore Tórshavn, the capital and largest city of Faroe Islands.

Tórshavn is a unique city, where history meets modernity, where picturesque old turfed houses and modern buildings stand side by side…

Day 6 At Sea

Sea Spirit, Library

Presentations and workshops by our expert staff, as well as our range of onboard recreation facilities, ensure that this day at sea is not idly spent. Seabird viewing and whale sightings can be enjoyed from panoramic open decks as well as exterior stateroom windows and balconies.

Day 7 Jan Mayen

Jan Mayen

Jan Mayen hosts landscapes of breathtaking beauty and northernmost sub-aerial active volcano on the planet – the Beerenberg. The island is wild and uninhabited not including members of Norwegian weather station. The signboard at the entrance door says (translated from the Norwegian): “Theory is when you understand everything but nothing works. Practice is when everything works but nobody understands why. On this station, we combine theory and practice in a way that nothing works and nobody understands why”. Northern fulmars, Kittiwakes, and Brünich’s guillemots breeding on steep cliffs and slopes represent the bird life of Jan Mayen..

Day 8 At Sea

Presentation Lounge Sea Spirit

The lectures of invited speakers will prepare you for meeting the unique Arctic wildlife and awesome landscapes of Spitsbergen.

Days 9 – 12 Svalbard

Polar Bear, Arctic

This is a real expedition in a true High Arctic wilderness. As such, your route and exploration opportunities here are heavily dependent on the weather and sea ice conditions the ship encounters. Your experienced captain and expedition leader decide the itinerary and continually adjust plans as conditions and opportunities warrant. You can be sure that the best possible advantage will be taken of the circumstances presented to us by Nature in this wild and remote corner of the Arctic.

 

Polar bears and other quintessential Arctic wildlife can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and around Svalbard. Your expedition team exploits every opportunity to experience excellent wildlife viewing, to discover incredible scenery, and to walk in the footsteps of the historic polar expeditions that came before you.

Svalbard

The expedition team anticipate exploring the spectacular fjords, coasts, and islands in the western part of Svalbard. This area contains the archipelago’s most impressive scenery and some of the Arctic’s best wildlife viewing opportunities. Deep fjords and narrow channels are flanked by jagged snowy mountain peaks. Immense tidewater glaciers calve icebergs into turquoise waters. Fields of flowering tundra are home to grazing reindeer and playful Arctic fox. Bountiful inshore and offshore waters are home to walrus and a wide variety of whales. The whole area is alive with migratory birds, including numerous rare species, taking advantage of summer’s fecundity in 24-hour daylight.

 

To complete the Arctic experience you will also explore places rich with history. The area of exploration contains the historical remnants of whaling camps, coal mining operations, trappers’ cabins, staging areas for historic attempts to discover the North Pole, and even an abandoned polar research station. The days are filled with memorable excursions, sumptuous meals, presentations by experts, and enough stunning scenery and wildlife to fill your camera and overwhelm your emotions.

Day 13 Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen

Longyearbyen

After breakfast we say farewell in the town of Longyearbyen, the administrative capital of the Norwegian territory of Svalbard. We provide a transfer to the airport and a flight to Oslo.

To book this cruise contact us on 1300 784 794 or email: contact@arctictravelcentre.com.au

We will tailor the perfect holiday to suit your needs.